Dispensing container



Dec. 22, 1959 T. P. JAKUBOWSKI 2,917,765

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed 001;. 18, 1957 HTTOR/VEV United States Patent DISPENSING CONTAINER Theodore P. Jakubowski, Clifton, N.J., assignor to Shulton, Inc, Clifton, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 18, 1957, Serial'No. 691,006

1 Claim. (Cl. 15-137) The present invention relates to containers for dispensing materials, such as creams, pastes and salves or the like, and, more particularly, to an improved screw operated piston assembly for expelling the materials from the containers.

Heretofore, a great number of different arrangements have been proposed for expelling such materials from containers to dispense the same, but all of these have been objectionable for one reason or another, primarily because of cost and difliculty of manufacture and assembly.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing container of the foregoing type which is not subject to the foregoing difficulties and disadvantages.

Another object is to provide such a container which is constructed of a minimum number ofparts adapted to be assembled in a rapid and simple manner.

A further object is to provide such a container which functions better than those proposed before and will therefore appeal to the users thereof, whereby the sales of materials packaged in such containers will be increased.

Other and further objects will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claim, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. l is an elevational view of a dispensing container in accordance with the present invention with the closure for the dispensing head shown in longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the container with the closure removed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the piston, screw unit and mounting assembly apart from the container.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 66 on Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a bottom view of a disc for mounting the screw unit.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating details of the container at the lower end thereof.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a dispensing container is shown which generally comprises five parts, namely, a receptacle 10, a closure 11 for the receptacle, a piston 12 for expelling material from the receptacle, a screw unit 13 for operating the piston, and a disc 14 for mounting the screw unit in the manner described hereinafter.

The receptacle is tubular, preferably having a cylindrical wall 15, and has a dispensing head 16 at the top thereof provided with discharge openings 17 and screw threads 18 (Figs. 1 to 3), and has an opening at the botice tom. The lower end of the wall 15 is stepped at the interior thereof to provide a seat 20 at the bottom and a converging face 21 spaced adjacently above the seat 20 (Figs. 3 and 8). The wall is further provided at the interior with a plurality of circumferentially spaced ribs 22 extending axially from the dispensing head to the face 21 (Figs. 3 and 5) and a groove 23 extending upwardly fromthe face 21 a short distance (Figs. 3 and 8).

The closure 11 comprises a cover portion 24 provided with means 25 on the underside for closing the openings 17', and a skirt portion 26 having threads 27 for cooperating with the threads 18 to secure the closure to the receptacle (Fig. 1).

The piston 12 is an inverted cup-shaped member having a screw threaded, central sleeve 28 and a pair of thin annular, spaced apart fins 29 at the periphery thereof for engaging the inside of the wall 15 and forming a seal between the piston and the wall (Figs. 3 and 4). The piston is formed of a yieldable material, such as a plastic resin of the polyethylene type, whereby the fins are readily deformable to provide a good seal and are deformed by the ribs 22 to prevent rotation of the piston with respect to the receptacle. These fins also are deformed by the face 21 to facilitate inserting the piston into the lower end of the receptacle (Fig. 8).

The screw unit 13 is constructed in one piece and is so shaped that it can be molded of any suitable plastic resin. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, this unit comprises a shaft 30 screw threaded through the sleeve 28, a manually operable knob 01' hand wheel 31 at the lower end of the shaft, and a collar 32 spaced adjacently above theknob 31 having a tapered upper surface 33 for the purpose to be described hereinafter.

The disc 14 is constructed of relatively stiflE, flexible material, such as plastic resin. The disc, as shown in Figs.- 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8, comprises a central raised portion 34 formed with an aperture 35 for receiving the portion of the shaft between the collar 34 and the knob 31, slots 36 extending outwardly from the aperture 35 and a slit 37 extending from the aperture to the periphery of the disc to render the same expandible, an annular rim 38 for engaging the receptacle wall 15 between the seat 20 and the face 21 and an annular rib 39 disposed on the seat 20, whereby the disc serves to rotata'bly mount the screw unit on the receptacle.

A bearing for the screw unit is provided by forming a circular, central boss 40 on the upper surface of the knob 31 and forming a central, circular recess 41 at the underside of the disc 14 for receiving the boss. I

Preferably, the upper surface of the knob 31 and the underside of the disc are spaced apart to prevent any binding therebetween. This is accomplished by providing a plurality of pips 42 between these surfaces, for example, on the underside of the disc. These pips are dimensioned to bias the portions of the disc surrounding its aperture 35 against the underside of the collar 32, whereby the screw unit and the disc are retained in assembly.

The dispensing container shown herein preferably is filled and assembled in the manner about to be described. The closure 11 is applied to the receptacle, as shown in Fig. 1, apart from the piston, screw unit and disc assembly, and the receptacle is filled with a desired amount of material to a level slightly above the upper end of the groove 23 to accommodate the shaft 30 when late-r placed in the material.

The shaft 30 of the screw unit is passed through the aperture 35 of the disc 14 until the face 33 of the collar engages the undersideof the disc. Pressure is then applied and the face expands the disc sufficiently to enable the collar to pass through the apertures, whereby the aperture receives the portion of the shaft between the collar 32 and the knob 31 to retain the disc in -..neath the piston increases. -.a partial acuurn whichtmightretard "the piston is prea vented because this-space is'vented through .the slots 3,6, the slit37 and the space provided'by the-pips 42.

assembly. Thef'shaft is now threaded through the piston 12 to position .the latter, as shown inFigs. 4 and 8,

Adhesive is applied to the seat 20 and/or the rib 39 and'the pistoniis forced' past the face 21 to-a point above -the.groove 23, as shown in FigQS. While .this is being done, the groove vents the air rin the" lower portion of the receptacle-to facilitate insertionaof the piston. 'When the adhesive-sets, the discx141ispermanently seoured to the receptacle and theucontainerz-is ready for r1156.

Inuse,-:the closure llyis removed-and the kno '3 is rotated clockwise (providedta left-hand thread is utilizedr),-wherebysthe piston moves upwardlyia-nd expels thetmateri'al-throughthe dispensingopenings 17 onto the surface .of 'the dispensing head 16 which cannnow' be i used as an applicator.

After useitheclosuret-is replaced. As the material is being consumed, the air space. be-

However, the formation of From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a novel and useful container of the type which expels the contents by screw operated piston means and Which is not subject to the prior difficulties and disadvantages. Theparts of the container are readily fabricated in an economical manner and are easily assembled. Furthermore, the container is practical and efiicient in use and ,for-.that reason appeals to the user.

As various changes may be made inthe form, construction, and arrangement of the parts herein, Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and 'without sacrificing any of its advantages, -it is to be understood that .all matters are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

A dispensing container comprising a tubular receptacle having adispensing head with perforationsat the top thereof and an opening at the bottom thereof, an inbinding therebetween, said dispensing head having an 4 verted cup-shaped piston of yieldablc material slidably mounted. in said. receptacleunderneath material to be expelled from said receptacle, a pair of thin, annularly spaced apart fins on the periphery of said piston for engaging an inner wall of the receptacle to form a seal between said piston and said inner wall, an axially extending rib on said receptacle inner Wall for engaging said fins to prevent rotation of said piston, a one-piece unit including ashaft screw threaded through said piston; manually operable knob at the lower end of said shaft and a collar on said, shaft spaced ,adjacently above said knob, a flat discrhaving a central aperture for receiving a portion of said shaft between said collar and said knob and having means rendering the same expandible adjacent said aperture toenable, said shaft portion to be so positioned, an annular rim and rib on said disc fitting into said opening and being adhesively secured therein to rotatably mount said screw means on said receptacle, a pluralityof: pips on the underside of said disc for spacingsaid knob from said disc and thereby preventing external wall diameter less than that of said tubular receptacle and having screw threads thereon, a shoulder on said receptacle formed by said dispensing head of lesser diameter, and a closure having means at the underside thereof for sealing said dispensing head perfora- :tions and having internalthreads for mesh engagement withsaid dispensing head threads, whereby said closure may be turnedtightly. against said shoulder for further sealing the-material within said container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,953,296 Gleeson Apr. 3, 1934 2,380,338 Sherman July 10, ;1945 2,626,847 Brown Jan .,27, 1953 2,704,598 Casey Mar. 22, 1955 2,816,309 Worth Dec. 17, 1957 2,818,167 McKinley ec. 31, 1957 

